The invention relates to the fields of wearable electronic devices and garments. More particularly, the invention relates to conductive straps for attaching wearable electronics having power and communicating signals routed through straps embedded within garments.
People are increasingly using portable electronic devices for applications such as communications, medical monitoring, costume lights and computing devices. These devices require battery power and are being reduced in size for convenient personal use. Humans wear clothing to which they attach these devices, such as clipping a cellular phone to a belt. Electronic devices are attached to clothing in various ways. For example, in the motion picture industry, characters, both real and imaginary, are often equipped with entertaining lights, such as an extraterrestrial being with red light eyes. The realistic animation of imaginary characters may require the distribution of tracking lights about a moving human being as an aid in tracking, recording, and digitizing motions of a human being that are then applied to the animation of the imaginary characters. These electronic devices are typically lights represented as required with power and communication means.
These and other like devices must be comfortable to wear while enabling electronic communications and power distribution among the various wearable electronic components. However, such wearable electronics are at present uncomfortable to wear for more than a brief period and do not have wiring suitable for permanent comfortable use while enabling the use of a variety of differing devices. Often, in such circumstances, wires break from constant human movement when worn, and are subject to unreliable electrical connectors when interconnecting conventional electronics. These and other disadvantages are solved or reduced using the invention.
An object of the invention is to provide a conductive strap for routing signals between attached electronic devices.
Another object of the invention is to provide a conductive strap embedded in clothing for routing signals between attached electronic devices.
Yet another object of the invention is to provide a conductive strap embedded in clothing for routing signals between attached wearable electronic devices using reliable contacts embedded within the strap.
Still another object of the invention is to provide a conductive strap embedded in clothing for routing power and communications signals between attached wearable electronic devices using reliable contacts embedded within the strap.
The invention is directed to an electrical conductive strap having at least two conductive wires that are used to communicate power and signals between batteries and electronic devices attached to the strap using conductive snaps. The conductive snaps are preferably made from common garment snaps and provide reliable electronic connection between the attached wearable electronic devices. The strap is embedded in clothing for attaching personal electronic devices to the clothing. The strap and attached devices can be comfortably worn as common articles of clothing. The strap can be embedded and sewn into various different articles of clothing such as blouses, pants, and belts. The strap is made of woven materials such as a conductive webbing, which incorporates durable electrical conductors directly into the conductive strap for the purpose of closely integrating attached electronics with conventional clothing. These and other advantages will become more apparent from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment.